"The Synod will begin with two days dedicated to prayer and reflection and will be presided over by His Eminence Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches."
The patriarchal See of Antioch for Syriac Catholics has been vacant since the resignation of His Beatitude Patriarch Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad on February 2, 2008.
Since then, the Syriac Catholic Church has been governed by a special committee of Bishops appointed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI [vatican.va] in accordance with the wishes of the Extraordinary Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church of 26-28 April 2007.
Let us pray for the election of the new Patriarch of Antioch for Syriac Catholics and for the peace and unity of the Syriac Catholic Church.
His Most Eminent Beatitude Ignace Moussa Cardinal Daoud (78), Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
His Beatitude Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad (78), Patriarch emeritus of Antioch (Lebanon)
The Most Reverend Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil (70), Auxiliary Bishop of Antioch (Lebanon), Titular Archbishop of Tagritum
The Most Reverend Raboula Antoine Beylouni (78), Auxiliary Bishop of Antioch (Lebanon), Titular Archbishop of Mardin
The Most Reverend Basile Georges Casmoussa (70), Archbishop of Mossul (Iraq)
The Most Reverend Denys Antoine Chahda (62), Archbishop of Aleppo (Syria)
The Most Reverend Gregorios Elias Tabé (67), Metropolitan Archbishop of Damascus (Syria)
The Most Reverend Jacques Georges Habib Hafouri (92), Archbishop emeritus of Hassaké–Nisibis (Syria)
The Most Reverend Jacques Behnan Hindo (67), Archbishop of Hassaké–Nisibis (Syria)
The Most Reverend Théophile Georges Kassab (63), Metropolitan Archbishop of Homs, Hama and Nabk (Syria), Apostolic Administrator of the patriarchal Eparchy of Beirut (Lebanon)
The Most Reverend Athanase Matti Shaba Matoka (78), Archbishop of Baghdad (Iraq)
The Most Reverend Iwannis Louis Awad (74), Apostolic Exarch of Venezuela, Titular Bishop of Zeugma in Syria
The Most Reverend Clément-Joseph Hannouche (58), Bishop of Cairo (Egypt)
The Most Reverend Flavien Joseph Melki (77), Auxiliary Bishop of Antioch (Lebanon), Titular Bishop of Dara
The Most Reverend Grégoire Pierre Melki (69), Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem, Titular Bishop of Batnae
The Most Reverend Ephrem Joseph Younan (64), Bishop of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark (United States and Canada)
What do you mean "fall on their swords"? What exactly is going on at the Patriarchate?
I remember hearing talks about a merger between the Syriac Catholics and the Maronites, would it be possible to elect the Maronite Patriarch as Syriac Patriarch (or would the Syriac Church prefer that the Maronites find their Syriac roots first)?
The Holy See has made reference to serious issues and problems but never clearly said what these are. The Popes have accepted resignations of Patriachs one after the other and now they have all been called to Rome.
I have been to a Syrian Rite Church in California and was horrified to see how badly Latinised they still are all these years after Vatican II. I can't help feeling they are slightly lost, or all at sea and confused.
I hope they can get over whatever their problems are finally, as they have had 2 Patriarchs fall on their swords one after the other.
Pavel,
It is true that Patriarch Ignace Moussa I resigned after only two years in office, but that was because Pope John Paul II appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. I would hardly call that "falling on his sword." Indeed, his tenure as prefect from 2000 to 2007 saw the creation of the first Syro-Malabar eparchy outside India (St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago) and the elevation of the Syro-Malankara Church to major archiepiscopal rank, both of them important achievements.
As for Patriarch Ignace Pierre VIII, your description seems more apt. Reading between the lines of the Holy Father's letter [vatican.va], it seems that he lost the confidence of his own Synod of Bishops. It also seems clear that there have been serious divisions within the Synod, since a "cooling-off period" of about a year was needed before the election of the new Patriarch.
I remember hearing talks about a merger between the Syriac Catholics and the Maronites, would it be possible to elect the Maronite Patriarch as Syriac Patriarch (or would the Syriac Church prefer that the Maronites find their Syriac roots first)?
I don't think this would be appropriate. Quite apart from the fact that the Maronite Patriarch is nearly 89, Vatican II decreed [vatican.va] that "it is the mind of the Catholic Church that each individual Church or Rite should retain its traditions whole and entire" (Orientalium Ecclesiarum 2).
I have been to a Syrian Rite Church in California and was horrified to see how badly Latinised they still are all these years after Vatican II. I can't help feeling they are slightly lost, or all at sea and confused.
From my own experience, I think it is fair to say that the liturgy of the Syriac Catholic Church is quite latinized (certainly compared to the Syro-Malankara Church or the Syriac Orthodox Church). So too is the liturgy of the Maronite Church. Indeed, it is my impression that their liturgies are not only latinized, but modernized. For example, it seems that the Maronite and Syriac Catholic liturgies are usually celebrated versus populum.
The Maronite Patriarchate decreed that the Qurbono be celebrated facing the people for "pastoral reasons," if my memory serves me correctly. I attended one Qurbono where it was celebrated ad orientam and although I loved the symbolism, it was impractical. In the rubrics for certain prayers within the current liturgy the priest is to pray with his hands extended over the gathered faithful; in the liturgy I attended the priest awkwardly extended his one arm behind himself as best as he could.
Why couldn't the priest simply turn around for these parts? There are certain prayers in the Syriac Rite which are for "extending the priest's hands" but the act involves raising his right hand toward the people, progressively turning around as the Liturgy progresses. The priest eventually turns around and blesses the people with his right hand, while his left hand holds firmly onto the altar (specifically the Tablitho).. in the West Syriac Liturgy blessing always flows from the altar (which is the Throne of God).
Here's a video of a Syriac Liturgy with a good example of what I am referring to above:
When offering the peace, the priest turns slightly and extend his right hand toward the people, left hand on the altar.
When blessing, he turns almost fully, keeping his left hand on the altar (especially on the Tablitho which holds the Gifts), joins his index finger, second finger and thumb (representing the Most Holy Trinity), while keeping his third finger and pinkie pressed against the palm (representing the Christ's divinity and humanity).
a few days ago the Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church, that last year failed to elect a new patriarch to replace Mar Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad who in January had resigned, after its meeting in Rome came in a short time (3 days) at a decision. The new patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church is, since yesterday January 20, the bishop of the Diocese of Our Lady of Deliverance for the United States and Canada, Mar Ephrem Joseph Younan who will take the name of Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan. On Friday 23, the new patriarch will meet the Holy Father, and in mid-February there will be an official ceremony at the patriarchal headquarters in Lebanon.
May God Grant many years to His Beatitude, Patriarch Mar Ignatius Joseph III. I met him at the funeral of Metropolitan Judson he was a very nice man, always smiling.
The new Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, His Beatitude Ignace Joseph III Younan, and the Bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church were received in audience today by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
Following his election on January 20, Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan, in accordance with CCEO can. 76 § 2, sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI asking for communio ecclesiastica. This was granted [212.77.1.245] by the Pope yesterday.
The Pope commented in his remarks [212.77.1.245] today that the granting of communio ecclesiastica to a newly elected Patriarch is "an aspect of the Petrine ministry which is particularly dear to me."
One thing I am confused on, looking back I see no Ignatius Joseph I or II:
Ignatius Andrew Akhidjan (1662-1677) Ignatius Peter VI Khaahbadine (1677-1702) Ignatius Dionysius Michael Jaroueh (1782-1800) Ignatius Michael II Daher (1802-1810) Ignatius Simon II Zora (1811-1818) Ignatius Peter VII Jaroueh (1820-1851) Ignatius Anthony I Samhery (1853-1864) Ignatius Philip I Arcous (1866-1874) Ignatius George Chalhat (1874-1891) Ignatius Behnam II Behni (1893-1897) Ignatius Dionysius Ephrem II Rahmani (1898-1929) Ignatius Gabriel I Cardinal Tappouni (1929-1968) Ignatius Anthony II Hayek (1968-1998) Ignatius Moses I Daoud (1998-2001) Ignatius Peter VIII Abdel-Ahad (2001-2008) Ignatius Joseph III Younan (2009-Present)
Another question What is the correct term now - "Syriac" or "Syrian"?
Is "Syriac" now the politically correct term (because "Syrian" might be confused with the present day Arabic country of Syria?
I've noticed that in the article's titles etc. "Syriac" is used, but in the articles when they refer to the eparchies, they use "Syrian" in that (I think) VERY politically incorrect and (I think) philetist usage -- "...Antioch of the Syrians".
Herb
ps: Maybe Ignace Joseph I & II served before 1662?
Wikipedia has a number of lists of patriarchs of Antioch. I am not sure, but I should think these would be relevant for numbering Syriac Catholic patriarchs:
However, these lists leave a lot of questions unanswered. For instance, I don't see how the Syriac Catholics suddenly got to Ignatius Peter VI when there are no signs of more than three Patriarchs named Peter before him. On the whole, the numbering does seem a bit random in some cases...
Exactly, the Synod asked that in English the Church be referred to as Syriac so that it not be identified soley with Syria or thought to be Arab, as they identify themselves ethnically as Suryoyo (Syriac) not Arabic.
On several occasions, during his tenure as Eparch of Our Lady of Deliverance of the Syriacs, he visited and served the Qurbono at our Melkite Cathedral in Boston (like many Melkite parishes, we have some parishioners of Syriac ancestry, lost by the Syriacs to the Melkites during the decades when there was no Syriac Catholic presence in the US). He is very pleasant and an excellent preacher.
Prayers for our Syriac brethren and their new Patriarch.
Another question What is the correct term now - "Syriac" or "Syrian"?
Is "Syriac" now the politically correct term (because "Syrian" might be confused with the present day Arabic country of Syria?
I've noticed that in the article's titles etc. "Syriac" is used, but in the articles when they refer to the eparchies, they use "Syrian" in that (I think) VERY politically incorrect and (I think) philetist usage -- "...Antioch of the Syrians".
Herb
ps: Maybe Ignace Joseph I & II served before 1662?
Joseph (790—792)
[There was also an unrecognized Latin Patriarch of Antioch named - Iosephus Melchiades Ferlisi (1858-1860)]
Originally Posted by Latin Catholic
Wikipedia has a number of lists of patriarchs of Antioch. I am not sure, but I should think these would be relevant for numbering Syriac Catholic patriarchs:
However, these lists leave a lot of questions unanswered. For instance, I don't see how the Syriac Catholics suddenly got to Ignatius Peter VI when there are no signs of more than three Patriarchs named Peter before him. On the whole, the numbering does seem a bit random in some cases...
My understanding of the numbering is as follows:
Peter the Apostle Peter the Fuller (469/470-471), deposed Peter the Fuller (476), reinstated and deposed Peter the Fuller (485-488), reinstated Peter III (581—591) Ignatius Peter VI Khaahbadine (1677-1702)
[There were also two unrecognized Latin Patriarchs of Antioch - Peter II of Angouleme (1196-1208) and Peter III of Locedio (1209-1217)]
You forgot the daddy of the West Syriac Churches, we Maronites. Also, while your post is quite right, the Maronite Church in recent times is permitting the use of the Qorbono of Addai and Mari.
Fush BaShlomo, Yuhannon
Originally Posted by Latin Catholic
Originally Posted by Mateusz
Are there any liturgical differences between West Syriac and East Syriac?
Sorry Yuhannon. I knew there was something missing!
Interesting to hear about your use of the Liturgy of Addai and Mari, too. Do you use a version with the Words of Institution interpolated, or a version without?
The Liturgy of Holy Addai & Mari without the Words of Institution is not presently permitted to the Catholic Chaldeans, so it's unlikely that the Maronites would be allowed to use it in that form.
Neil, you may well be right, but there is a very interesting document of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity called "Guidelines [vatican.va] for admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East" from 2001. This document notes that:
Quote
A long and careful study was undertaken of the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, from a theological, liturgical and historical perspective, at the end of which the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith on January 17th, 2001 concluded that this Anaphora can be considered valid. Pope John Paul II subsequently approved this decision.
The document recounts three arguments for the validity of the Anaphora of Addai and Mari without an interpolation of the Words of Institution:
Quote
In the first place, the Anaphora of Addai and Mari is one of the most ancient Anaphoras, dating back to the time of the very early Church; it was composed and used with the clear intention of celebrating the Eucharist in full continuity with the Last Supper and according to the intention of the Church; its validity was never officially contested, neither in the Christian East nor in the Christian West.
Secondly, the Catholic Church recognises the Assyrian Church of the East as a true particular Church, built upon orthodox faith and apostolic succession. The Assyrian Church of the East has also preserved full Eucharistic faith in the presence of our Lord under the species of bread and wine and in the sacrificial character of the Eucharist. In the Assyrian Church of the East, though not in full communion with the Catholic Church, are thus to be found "true sacraments, and above all, by apostolic succession, the priesthood and the Eucharist" (Unitatis Redintegratio [vatican.va], n. 15).
Finally, the words of Eucharistic Institution are indeed present in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, not in a coherent narrative way and ad litteram, but rather in a dispersed euchological way, that is, integrated in successive prayers of thanksgiving, praise and intercession.
Thus, it seems to me that the proper authorities in the Maronite and Chaldean Churches could, if they so wanted, permit the use of the Anaphora of Addai and Mari without an interpolation of the Words of Institution.
Therefore, I would be very interested in hearing from Yuhannon about current Maronite practice.
I'm aware of the Guidelines but, note the following text from them:
Quote
2. In both cases, Assyrian and Chaldean ministers celebrate the Holy Eucharist according to the liturgical prescriptions and customs of their own tradition.
3. When Chaldean faithful are participating in an Assyrian celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the Assyrian minister is warmly invited to insert the words of the Institution in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, as allowed by the Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East.
And, given the conservatism of the Maronites, they're less likely than anyone else to take such a "drastic" step.
I guess you're right, especially since Catholics (as well as Orthodox) expect the Words of Institution to be part of the eucharistic liturgy. Any change in this would certainly require very careful catechesis to avoid any confusion or scandal.
The Maronite Church still uses the ancient Anaphora of St. Peter (or Shara) that is described in the texts of history of the liturgy being as older as the one of Addai and Mari?
and how much the reform of the Maronite Liturgy in the last 30 years has modified such ancient anaphoras?
If I may add my input on your question, the word Sharrar/Sharar means: establish, or strengthen, or some other related word. It comes from the opening of the anaphora. There is no semantic relation to the word Peter.
By the way, here is a fun exercise
1. Go to this site for an Aramaic Lexicon and Concordance program: http://www.peshitta.org 2. Click on: Tools 3. Click on: Lexicon 4. Type in the following: rr4 5. Click on this button: Aramaic word 6. Click on: Search
You will get the listing for Sharar. The rr4 above means resh(r), resh(r), and sheen(4), the Aramaic letters that makeup the word Sharar.
The pictures bear witness to a very Latinized Syriac Catholic Church.
Granted that these are beautiful, but that lace alb, the miters and the style of the cope-like chasuble are very far away from Syriac Orthodox, Malankar Orthodox and Malankar Catholic usage.
Speaking of lace albs... why do the Syriac and Chaldean Catholics have such a liking for these?
the syriac(antiochian) tradition is very interesting. I am very curious about it's history. But no offense, I do see much modernization such as female altar servers, besides the common obvious "Latinization"
The pictures bear witness to a very Latinized Syriac Catholic Church.
Granted that these are beautiful, but that lace alb, the miters and the style of the cope-like chasuble are very far away from Syriac Orthodox, Malankar Orthodox and Malankar Catholic usage.
Speaking of lace albs... why do the Syriac and Chaldean Catholics have such a liking for these?
Well, yes, the Syriac Orthodox priest here does have lace on his alb, but the lace is quite plain and doesn't amount to much. However, in Chaldean and Syriac Catholic pictures I've seen the all-lace skirt (complete with red trim) is quite common.
The lace alb goes very well with the Tridentine Mass, although even there the genuine Roman tradition is one of great restraint.
I suppose we cannot judge the Estern Spirituality of a Church measuring how large are the laces on the albs...
In the pics of the cerymony all the bishops lay the hands on the newly appointed patriarch. - What is the meaning of such a gesture? - The liturgy of the appointment as patriach is similar in structure to the liturgy of bishop consecration? - The liturgy of the appointment as patriach is considered a sacrament? - In the Syrian liturgy of bishop consecration, all the bishops who lay the hands consecrate the new bishop (as in the modern Latin rite) or only the Principal Consecrator (as in the Byzantine rite) ?
As far as I'm aware, the consecrator is Patriarch Moran Mor Ignace Moussa I Cardinal Daoud.
The only things I found Latinized here were the crucifixes, (traditionally the Syriac Churches should have the Cross without the Corpus) on both the processional and the pectoral crosses. The mitres were obviously latin, and the eskimo (skull cap) only has one star on it (the Syriac/Malankara Orthodox and Syro-Malankara Catholic have 13).
Also, the "veil" that the Patriarch has his head covered with is properly the Shushafo - representing the Holy Spirit, and normally has a Dove embroidered on it. I didn't see many pictures with the Patriarch or any bishops actually wearing the maşnaphto, except when the Patriarch had his pectoral cross put on (perhaps he did and we don't have pictures).
As to the Holy Qurbono, obviously the lack of altar curtain and facing away from the altar are non-traditional latinizations.
I didn't see many pictures with the Patriarch or any bishops actually wearing the maşnaphto, except when the Patriarch had his pectoral cross put on (perhaps he did and we don't have pictures).
Michael,
Do you know whether the consecration of the Patriarch precedes the Holy Qurbono or is integrated into it? I ask because I thought the maşnaphto was only worn by the principal celebrant - who, in this case, would be the newly-consecrated Patriarch.
The Syriac/Malankara Orthodox (nor Syro-Malankara Catholic) bishop do not wear mitres during the Holy Qurbono, they will during Morning and Evening prayers. The masanaphto goes on during parts of the Holy Qurbono.
